03 Jul 2020 05:35:01
I've been kind of bewildered by the general sentiment recently against acquiring a new keeper. I'm just going to be blunt and state that Kepa is not up to the standards in almost any aspect. Our set piece defending has been consistently poor over the last year which has lead to a lot of flack for our defense but they're put in an incredibly difficult position when they know their keeper won't come out to contest any ball. Say what you will about courtois but he absolutely commanded aerial balls into the box. There's also been a lot of talk about the lack of direction from our defense which is fair but again it's tough for our defense when the person with the best vantage point (your keeper) is silent. He's made numerous mistakes on the ball. Statistics show he's clearly not up to par from a shot stopping perspective. A lot of the arguments against acquiring someone have dealt with his price but I would remind people that sometimes you need to cut your losses and move on from bad investments rather than allowing them to run their course (Torres) . Put it this way, the difference in champions league revenue versus Europa league revenue is easily 50m which would pay off the remaining amortized fee owed on Kepa and I think everyone would agree that a quality keeper would have us in a position where we aren't sweating qualification for next year so it would pay off quickly. There are multiple proven quality keepers that are available in Donarumma, Onana, and others so it's not a matter of a lack of options. More than any other position, we NEED a new keeper. Sorry for the rant.

{Ed0666's Note - A few weeks after Kepa signed for you Eds 001 said to me he thought Kepa was a great shot stopper and bad at everything else. I honestly thought he was being harsh. They were prophetic words. You need a new keeper like sharpish he is detariating at a rate of knots. You have plenty money I would tempt Oblak and test Arhletis resolve.

1.) 03 Jul 2020
03 Jul 2020 06:46:58
Since we are playing what Ed001 said before signings I have a few. Liverpool and Spurs were interested in Son, and I remember Ed001 saying he is going to be a great signing and a steal for that price fast forward to Son being a stand out performer for Spurs and in the premier, easily their best player since Bale for me.

Ed001 also stated how he thought Alison will become one of the best goalkeepers before he made the move to Liverpool, Ed001 also heaped praise on Pulisic when he was linked to the premier league, so guys you know what’s going to happen next, Pulisic Epl player of the year next season. Been a few others as well.

On that note (and perhaps deviating from the original post, my apologies), just thought I’d say thanks to all the Ed’s on here for their time, I know Ed002 is a bit mad at the Chelsea page right now but we still really enjoy this site and appreciate the effort.

{Ed001's Note - I am sure there are probably just as many I got wrong though!}

2.) 03 Jul 2020
03 Jul 2020 07:54:53
Ed001 normally knows what he's talking about, but it turns out Kepa's not too sharp on shot stopping either. We may as well stick a cardboard cutout between the sticks and pray the opposition shoot directly at it.

I said the same thing about set pieces the other day Tk. You can see the panic in the way the defenders deal with them, you saw it in Azpilicueta's funny behaviour before WHU's ruled out goal. A goalkeeper who commands his area would make a big difference to our set pieces.

Our recent acquisitions have generally been ok, I can only think Courtois going on strike forced the club into a bad decision that needs correcting. I think we need to start Caballero for the rest of the season.

3.) 03 Jul 2020
03 Jul 2020 08:51:40
Oblak is the best around but I don’t think he’s the type to come and claim corners and take the pressure off the defence, Onana neither. I’d much prefer to see the club go after a bigger keeper in Donnarumma or a wild card we haven’t been linked with yet in Rajkovic of Reims. He’ll have a big value by next summer so think it’s wise to try now. Think them two would give the defence more confidence cause set pieces are a massive worry right now. I wouldn’t even let Kepa be 2nd choice next season he’s that bad.

4.) 03 Jul 2020
03 Jul 2020 10:28:00
Ed1 what do you think of Areola?

{Ed001's Note - well he is a bit of a tit....sorry couldn't resist that one! Seriously he is very inconsistent, one of those who is brilliant one minute and the next he is a flapper. Quick reactions etc, but clearly must have issues with concentration as that is almost always the cause of inconsistency like that in keepers. If you were looking to sign him, you would want to have a good look at his lifestyle and see if there are any issues there. He is a friend's cousin, but they have not mentioned anything particularly worrying, but I would look at his gameplaying habits and the like, just in case. Might be an easy fix for concentration issues.}

5.) 03 Jul 2020
03 Jul 2020 11:08:20
brilliant info Ed1, I hope we stay clear of Areola. Thanks mate.

{Ed001's Note - it's a shame because when he is at it, he is brilliant. Personally I think he made a big mistake choosing to play for France over the Philippines. While he would not have gone to the World Cup etc, he would have been first choice and have the chance to be a legend in the country and helped establish the game there. It would have given him something more to play for and helped his focus, as he would have been representing more than just himself every time he plays. A bit like when you watched Terry for Chelsea, you just know he was 10% better for Chelsea than he was for England purely because every time he pulled on the shirt he was also playing for all his friends, family and other Chelsea fans as well as himself. When you get to that kind of level, you need something more to drive you on.}

6.) 03 Jul 2020
03 Jul 2020 11:41:12
That is so true, I couldn't disagree at all mate. I think the example you have given is straight to the point.

{Ed001's Note - that mental edge is such an overlooked part of the game, when it is the key. You don't get to Premier League level without being potentially great in terms of technique, but you need the right mentality to actually be great. That Michael Jordan documentary showed how Jordan used to make up slights from opponents to drive him on and give him that focus and drive. The trouble is that it is a huge part of the game that is a little neglected in England. You look at Pulisic, he comes from a privileged family, he doesn't have the start in poverty of people like Sadio Mane, for example to drive him on. That can often be a problem and why so many sports stars come from poverty, as they have to succeed or go hungry. So someone like Pulisic has to have something else to help him compete at the top. Luckily he has a good grounding, a family that were coaching at the top level but not high enough to mean they had achieved it all and sated that desire to succeed. So instead they live their success through him and that helps drive him imo. That is the kind of thing that scouts often overlook, they don't look enough into a player's background.}

7.) 03 Jul 2020
03 Jul 2020 14:23:33
Fantastic insight and a great read, cheers Ed001.

{Ed001's Note - thanks BT.}

8.) 03 Jul 2020
03 Jul 2020 18:49:29
Agree with blutan, great insight, I always look forward to Ed’s opinions.

9.) 03 Jul 2020
03 Jul 2020 22:28:51
Being a successful sportsman mental edge is definitely important. Its easy to lose focus and motivation and fall into your comfort zone when you pretty much have everything, especiallymoney. Mane's story is beautiful and I'm not surprised one bit why his drive seems endless.

Same with Didier Drogba, the guy had a drive to start his footballing late and achieved so much. The point you make is excellent, a players background gives you a great indication as to how hard they are mentally. Brilliant post Ed.